Mpower Brings Together Over 100 Corporates To Prioritize Employee Mental Health

In a remarkable display of commitment to the mental well-being of their workforce, over 100 corporates in India have embraced the #PledgeForMentalHealth a pioneering initiative championed by Mpower, an initiative of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, led by Dr. Neerja Birla. This significant announcement coincides with World Mental Health Day, emphasizing the growing importance of mental health in the corporate world. The objective of the initiative is to unite companies across India to focus on their employees mental well-being by establishing robust mental health policies and interventions within their organizations.

India, home to its largest-ever adolescent and youth population, will continue to have one of the world's youngest demographics until 2030, as projected by the UNFPA. As our nation's youth join the workforce, the economic impact of mental health conditions cannot be ignored. Between 2012-2030, it's estimated to cost India a staggering USD 1.03 trillion. The weight of work-related pressures, new challenges, and increasing responsibilities all compound the burdens especially on young employees. The relentless pressure to perform, coupled with a lack of work-life balance, exacts a toll on their well-being. Adding to this Mpower's Mental Health and Wellness Quotient at Workplace 2023 survey, a comprehensive study commissioned to delve into the mental health issues faced by employees across various industries in India uncovered that over 48% of corporate employees are 'at risk' of poor mental health, with a higher prevalence among female employees at 56%. More than 50% of those surveyed strongly agreed that stress significantly impacts their work productivity.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Neerja Birla, Founder & Chairperson, Mpower (An initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust) said, “In corporate settings, mental health often lacks the attention and investment it deserves. With 48% of corporate professionals battling mental health issues, as per Mpower Mental health at workplace Survey 2023, it’s crucial for organisations to address this silent crisis directly. It is heartening to see 100+ companies pledge their allegiance to the cause of mental health of their employees by taking the Mpower Mental Health Pledge. Mpower is committed to supporting corporate mental wellness, to help corporations create more inclusive and healthy work environments. As a young nation, prioritizing our workforce's mental health is vital for our. Mpower is committed to supporting corporate mental wellness, forging a more inclusive, supportive work environment. As a young nation, prioritizing our workforce's mental health is vital for our growing economy. The Mental Health Pledge unites the corporate world to create healthier workplaces."

Mpower’s #PledgeForMentalHealth is a vital intervention to ensure companies think about bringing in necessary measures for their employees, ensuring better employee engagement, EAP programmes and robust policies that encourage and support mental health conversations and interventions. Participating companies, representing diverse industries and sectors, acknowledge the profound impact that mental health has on employee productivity, overall well-being, and the success of their businesses.

#PledgeForMentalHealth initiative marks a significant step toward a more mentally healthy and productive workforce across India.

Some prominent companies include Aditya Birla Group companies, ABP Network, Kapiva, Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Well-being, Salaam Mumbai Foundation, Chhatra Sansad, Fulcrum, Goldmedal, Capri Sports Etc participated in the pledge.

• The Movement: through this vertical we strive to bring about a cultural shift and a change in the mind-set of people by addressing misconceptions, fostering positive attitudes, disseminating correct information, and alleviating stigma related to mental illnesses.

• Clinical care: Clinical Care at Mpower is provided through world-class centres of excellence, by extremely skilled and qualified mental health professionals and can be broadly classified into the Centre, the Foundation, and the Cell.

- The Centre - Offers holistic mental health care solutions to children, adolescents, young people and their families.

- Mpower Foundation- Provides quality mental health care at a reasonable rate to underprivileged individuals, by empowering people living with psychosocial difficulties to lead meaningful lives, without social exclusion.

- Mpower Cell - Provides clinical interventions for specific target audiences. Mpower Cell is a small unit on partner organization premises. The cell has associations with NGOs, schools, Hospitals, corporate and government bodies. Association with BITS (Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad) and Kalyan campus providing counselling and Psychiatric consultations and workshops to the students and Faculty. The aim is to provide clinical care and a mental health-friendly environment on campus.

• The Outreach: This arm is the awareness and capacity-building vertical of Mpower. Our IGNITE Programs aim to reach out to the various communities through our comprehensive programs and workshops for Schools, Colleges, NGOs and Corporate. Our aim is to destigmatize mental health, manage various aspects related to mental health, equip individuals with the skills to prevent mental health issues and encourage help-seeking behaviors.

• Academia- Our academic vertical seeks to equip society with the tools and skills necessary to handle mental health crisis scenarios, to move towards empathy, to build capacity for mental health professionals, and to create a sound ecosystem for those with mental health concerns to not just live, but thrive.

• Helpline - The SBMC and Mpower 1 on 1, along with the Government of Maharashtra is a toll-free, 24*7 multilingual helpline, that helps individuals sail through the tough times by addressing their concerns and offers callers Call 1800-120- 820050 and chat facilities

Mpower has also collaborated with various government agencies and authorities to run impact-driven special projects that aim to create awareness and destigmatize mental health amongst various stakeholders

• Samvedhana- Under this project, we are closely working with 40 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to aid the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).

• Saksham- Mpower has collaborated with the Mumbai police with the aim to provide counselling services to victims of abuse & perpetrators of crime

• MANN- This project aims to increase mental health awareness, provide support to and to build the capacity of the Central Industrial Security Force

• Oorja- Train teachers in collaboration with MCGM schools to bring about an improvement in the mental well-being of school children. Provide clinical interventions by the establishment of counselling cells in schools for underprivileged children through trained Psychologists. Also build the capacity of the school teachers through the Mental Health e- curriculum Mindsmatter, enabling them to deliver the curriculum in a sustainable manner in the future to support and develop mental health awareness, prevention and management skills amongst students across grade I to X.